1. Field of the Invention
This invention involves a gasoline additive concentrate composition, a fuel composition that includes the gasoline additive concentrate composition, and a method of operating a gasoline internal combustion engine with the fuel composition. The compositions and methods of the present invention reduce fuel consumption in a gasoline internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gasoline fuel compositions that reduce the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines are both beneficial and desirable to reduce fuel costs and to comply with governmental regulations concerning fuel economy and exhaust emissions.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/448,560 filed Nov. 23, 1999 (Adams et al.) disclose compositions that include a polyetheramine and compounds selected from the group that includes fatty acid esters and alkoxylated amines that are useful as fuel additives for reducing engine wear and improving fuel economy.
International Application No. WO 93/21288 published Oct. 28, 1993 (Bloch et al.) disclose lubricating oils, such as engine oils and transmission fluids, that include an alkoxylated amine and an ester of a fatty acid which provide enhanced fuel economy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,211 filed May 26, 1998 (Schilowitz) discloses gasoline lubricity additive concentrates that include esters of fatty acids and alkoxylated amines.
European Publication No. EP 947576 published Oct. 6, 1999 (Fuentes-Afflick et al.) disclose fuel compositions that include aliphatic hydrocarbyl substituted amines and/or polyetheramines and esters of carboxylic acids and polyhydric alcohols to improve fuel economy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,026 filed Aug. 15, 1984 (Shaub et al.) disclose a method to reduce fuel comsumption in a gasoline engine by including a fuel additive that is an ester having at least one free hydroxyl group and formed from a monocarboxylic acid and a glycol or trihydric alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,722 filed Aug. 9, 1996 (Davies et al.) disclose fuel compositions that include a fuel oil having a low sulfur content, a nitrogen containing compound such as the salt of an amine and carboxylic acid, and an ester of a polyhydric alcohol and a carboxylic acid to enhance lubricity of the fuel.
It has now been found that the gasoline additive concentrate composition of the present invention when used in a fuel composition provides a way to reduce fuel consumption in gasoline internal combustion engines. The benefits of this invention are both economic and environmental and include reduced fuel costs, fuel conservation, and reduced emission of greenhouse gases.